Now listen to me! What you’re doing is not justice; it’s murder. It’s evil; pure, cold-blooded evil…

You’ve made yourself judge, jury, and executioner, but who gave you that right? Not us the citizens, not the law, not anyone with any moral standing…

…and let me tell you right now, Sima Hills, our communities, and our people, deserve better than this. Hang your head in shame, Doomblade; you’re a stain on this city, and we all want you gone! Shame on you, Doomblade! Shame on you! Leave Sima Hills and never come back!

Doomblade smirked and shook his head as he meandered through buildings, tonight’s mission on course. The city was in a current state of terror, but he was on cloud nine, recounting the takedown of that lady journalist who ranted at him on that current affairs show.

How good it felt to slaughter that fool! He deeply enjoyed watching her final moments on earth, sniggering as the breath of life gradually departed from her body. Her biggest mistake was coming directly after him; she really had some nerve in acting like she had more sense than he did.

“Such a stupid journalist!” he scoffed as he moved on. “She’s the real disgrace to Sima Hills, she’s the true enemy of justice, chatting all that rubbish. She deserved every bit of what she got. And that other fool Mawuli, who also thought he could stand against me, same fate. Good riddance!”

The memory of the audience clapping also came to mind, and he shook his head. Once again, another display of supreme brain-dead ignorance from the citizenry. His eyes narrowed with disdain. “Clapping like the low-brained sheep they are. They think they know what justice is? Pah! They’re just as pathetic as she was. Every single one of them.”

The video then came to mind, and a smirk returned. That warning he sent to the Police Service and a few other media houses sure had shaken things up; suddenly the media weren’t so quick to trash-talk him. Those words of warning had spooked so many of them into silence.

Just as he wanted.

“That’ll whip them all into shape,” he chuckled. “Now nobody will attempt to mess with me. Stupid little peabrains. If you guys had a fraction of an understanding of what justice is, you wouldn’t be out here whining like idiots and twerking for these fools you think are the upholders of justice. Well, anyway, let’s get to that Apprey guy’s house. Like I said, their time of reckoning is due…”

***

The kitchen of the Apprey household was in a solemn and rather quiet mood. The head of the house, Kwami, stood at the sink, sleeves rolled up, methodically washing the remnants of dinner off the dishes. His wife and two little children were in the room, with Constable Frank Yeboah watching over them.

Nadine was in the kitchen with him. She had requested that he leave the dishes for the next morning, but he insisted. “I just need to keep busy. If I sit still, all I see is them—Adepa and Mawuli. I need to clear my head.”

Nadine sighed as she leaned against the counter near the second window, her posture relaxed but her eyes constantly scanning the room and outside. Kwami was really going through it, blaming himself for the deaths of his colleagues. In his moment of grief, he felt allowing them to speak on Doomblade was an error he never should have made.

“I never should have let them speak. Especially Adepa. If I had known this would happen…”

“Mr. Apprey, you’re not to blame,” she urged gently. “You guys did your job as journalists, speaking the truth. That’s what Doomblade hates. That’s on him, not you.”

Kwami shook his head tearfully. “Nah, we should have kept quiet. We shouldn’t have said anything at all. I swear, if I knew he’d do this, I wouldn’t have put his issue on the agenda. I would’ve told Adepa to stop tweeting so aggressively about him. I would’ve done differently. Chale, I’ve messed up. I’ve really messed up.”

Nadine sighed again. This is exactly what Doomblade wanted: a culture of silence while he continued to wreak havoc all over the city. This could not go on, it just couldn’t.

How is a man blaming himself for doing his job because of your stupid insecure ass? Goddamn Doomblade! Operation Shadowfall needs to step up their game, ASAP!

She was about to respond when something outside caught her eye.

Through the window nearest to her, a glint of light flickered in the distance.

She squinted, looking carefully. Hmmm, it might be a reflection.

But then the gleam moved—a subtle, deliberate shift.

Her blood ran cold.

There’s someone outside.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze sharpening.

“Mr. Apprey, we need to move.”

Kwami barely heard her.

A shadowy figure stood far off, almost indistinguishable in the dark. The light of the moon glinted off something in their hand.

A split second later, she realized what it was.

A ninja star.

Her pupils dilated.

Doomblade was around! And he was about to kill Kwami Apprey if she didn’t move quickly.

“Mr. Apprey!” she yelled, springing into action.

Kwami’s head was still bowed over the sink, lost in his thoughts, as Nadine lunged toward him.

The star sliced through the air with terrifying speed. Nadine threw her body against Kwami’s, pushing him hard to the floor.

The star whizzed past his head, missing him by mere inches.

Instead, it found its mark on Nadine, slashing a deep cut across her arm as she shielded him.

“AAAARRHHHHH!”

She gasped in pain, clutching her wounded arm, but her focus remained razor-sharp as she landed on the floor. Kwami, also sprawled on the floor, looked up at her in stunned disbelief, finally registering the danger he had been saved from.

“Oh my God, he’s here!” he cried.

“Stay down!” Nadine barked, her voice firm despite the pain. She glanced back at the window, her heart pounding. “Don’t let the son of a bitch see you.”

***

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! How could I have missed!”

Clenching his fists so tightly that his nails bit into his palms, Doomblade was livid, watching the trajectory of the missed star as it clattered against a distant wall. He never missed a hit, so this was equal to slapping him in the face.

Through the window, he could see Kwami Apprey sprawled on the kitchen floor, wide-eyed and trembling. But it was the figure of the officer—defiant, bleeding, and shielding her charge—that really got him peeved.

“These fucking police officers!” he seethed. “Ruining things for me as always! Ruining everything! Dammit!”

He couldn’t let this stand. No way, this was personal. Not only had the officer thwarted his kill, but she had humiliated him.

And that was an offense he would not tolerate.

And this required more than just a star; this required a proper punishment.

One that he had not dished out to any officer since his new direction. One that would send the strongest of messages to everyone. It was time to make an example out of her.

“I’ll teach her,” he growled under his breath. “I’ll teach them all what happens when you stand in my way.”

Doomblade straightened, his movements fluid and silent. Then with a sudden move, he sprang forward, his legs propelling him in an arc of brutal precision.

The world seemed to blur as he leaped through the air, his target clear, his mission singular.

***

The glass of the kitchen window shattered into a thousand shards as Doomblade burst through it, his body a whirlwind of motion.

Kwami screamed in terror, scrambling backward across the floor. Nadine, leaning against the wall, raised her good arm, her eyes wide with shock and defiance, as Doomblade landed in a crouch, shards of glass raining down around him like deadly confetti.

The room was instantly filled with a suffocating presence—the type of cold dread that marked the arrival of a predator.

Doomblade straightened up, his dark eyes gleaming with malice and a cruel snarl playing on his lips.

Without a word, he marched toward Nadine, his movements slow and deliberate. Still wincing in pain from her wounded arm, she moved and backed against the counter, her breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps.

“You’re brave,” Doomblade sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “But bravery doesn’t stop me, fool!”

His gloved hand shot out, grabbing her by the collar and yanking her forward.

His other hand balled into a fist, ready to strike…

Until he discovered who he was dealing with.

With a sharp twist, she broke free of his grip and retaliated with a swift kick to his midsection. Doomblade staggered back, caught off guard by her speed.

“You messed with the wrong officer,” she hissed, dropping into a defensive stance.

Doomblade’s eyes narrowed. “You fool! You’ll regret this.”

He lunged at her with a cry, his attacks precise and unrelenting. Nadine met him strike for strike, her training as a brown belt in karate kicking in at the perfect time. She deflected a blow aimed at her jaw and countered with a roundhouse kick that connected with his shoulder.

The two clashed in a furious exchange of punches and kicks, their movements a blur of skill and ferocity. Despite her bleeding arm, Nadine moved with practiced precision, her determination unwavering. Doomblade, however, was relentless, his attacks laced with raw power.

For a moment, it seemed as though Nadine had the upper hand. She landed a sharp elbow to his ribs, causing him to grunt in pain. But Doomblade was quick to adapt. He swept his leg low, knocking her feet out from under her.

Nadine hit the floor hard, gasping as the impact jolted her wound.

She scrambled to get up, but Doomblade was already standing over her, a ninja star glinting in his hand.

“Stupid officer!” he snarled as he raised it, ready to strike. “Die now!”

Just then, without warning…

A steel pot flew across the room, hitting him squarely in the side of the head.

He staggered, momentarily disoriented, and turned to see Kwami standing near the sink, clutching another pot in trembling hands.

“Get away from her!” Kwami shouted, his voice shaky but defiant.

Doomblade snarled, ready to lunge at him…

… and the kitchen door burst open.

Constable Yeboah stormed in, his gun drawn. He didn’t hesitate upon seeing it was Doomblade, instantly firing three shots in quick succession.

Doomblade reacted with inhuman agility, twisting and diving to avoid the bullets. He flipped backward, grabbing a shard of glass from the floor and flinging it at Yeboah.

The officer dodged it, firing another shot that grazed Doomblade’s shoulder.

“Aarrgh!”

Realizing the odds were no longer in his favor, Doomblade darted to the shattered window, vaulted through it and disappeared into the night.

“HQ, Yeboah here! Suspect Doomblade is on foot, fleeing the Apprey home! Shots fired! Officer down, I repeat, officer down with GSW, urgent medical required. Need immediate backup, code three!” Yeboah barked into his radio, his voice steady despite the chaos.

He turned to Kwami, who was helping Nadine sit up while applying a napkin to her wound. Her face was pale and her breathing labored, now feeling the full effect of her injuries.

“Hang in there, Officer,” Yeboah soothed, kneeling beside her. “Help is on the way.”

Kwami nodded. “Yes, yes, please. Hang in there. You did amazing. Take it easy.”

Nadine could only smile weakly and nod.

Yeboah nodded at him. “Get to your family, sir. I’ll take it from here.”

Kwami nodded before darting out of the kitchen.

As the sound of approaching sirens echoed in the distance, the two officers sat in the wrecked and bloodied kitchen, the shattered window a chilling reminder that the reign of terror was far from over.

They had faced Doomblade and managed to survive. But for how long?

What an insane episode that was! Thank goodness Nadine managed to fight him off. This vigilante is seriously twisted…